James Jones to resign as National Security Advisor

James Jones is the next in the Obama administration to retire. Image from Wikimedia Commons.

It was announced recently that James Jones will be resigning from his position as National Security Advisor. He will be replaced by Tom Donilon, the Deputy National Security Advisor. Officials have been leaving the Obama administration at a seemingly high rate. Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel recently left to run for Mayor of Chicago. There are rumors that Hillary Clinton is going to replace Joe Biden as Vice President.

James Jones retires

It was recently announced that James Jones will be retiring. He will serve out the remainder of October, according to the Los Angeles Times. Jones will be replaced by Tom Donilon, the Deputy National Security Advisor. Donilon has plenty of experience. He served as chief of staff for Warren Christopher, the Secretary of State for President Clinton. Obama is the third president he has worked for. General James Jones intended to only serve for two years, as he has already had a long career. Jones was formerly the Marine Corps Commandant and commander of NATO. Jones did not seek to become National Security Advisor to begin with. He was also a chief architect of the Afghan surge strategy currently being implemented.

Exodus of officials

The Obama administration has seen officials in top spots leave at a high rate over the past few months, according to CNN. Rahm Emanuel recently stepped down to pursue a bid for Mayor of Chicago to replace the outgoing Mayor Daley. Other senior staff, such as adviser David Axelrod and economic adviser Larry Summers have left as well. There is also a rumor concerning Joe Biden. Rampant speculation has begun that President Obama will replace him with Hillary Clinton before the 2012 election, though the White House denies it so far.

Musical chairs in the White House

The White House is having an exodus of top staff. Whether it is simply a coincidence remains to be seen. However, other administrations have seen top staff come and go in large numbers as well.